The Trials, Stories, and Photographs of a New York City Writer, Photojournalist & New York Yellow Taxi Hack...bringing you the New York City stories he reports which have crowned him The King of New York Hacks.

KING OF NEW YORK HACKS

Follow and ye shall be Knighted !!!KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE !

KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE

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Monday, September 29, 2008

Bronx run to 161st and River Ave. Yankee Stadium. Baseball is over, and the memories that I have here will live forever. I have been fortunate to be at many games in this " Cathedral " of baseball going back to my early childhood. My father was a police officer and used to take us to games along with kids from gangs in Brooklyn that they were trying to steer away from the gangster lifestyle through the youth intervention and police athletic league.

I was lucky to enough to be hanging with these young gang baseball enthusiasts who had a chant for everything that carried on through my life. They had chants to a player at bat or in the field, all the way to ordering peanuts, and both were done with as much fervor. These were people without fathers or mothers or in some cases both. BUT, they still had a determination of winning, and they did it with a flavor that still is recognized to this day. Back then they were" The Bleacher Creatures" as section 39 is known today , and I have the tickets to prove it. Con Edison sponsored these tickets by the way...

I learned at a young age to appreciate being a "fan" of anything, is good for the heart...and sometimes bad, when they lose of course.....but such is life. I was at the Ron Guidry 18 strikeout game, The 96 World Series win game with my father and mother who passed on a year later ( we had a choice to sell game 6 or 7 because we had tickets to both and my mother said NO tonight they win it, great memory), the Aaron Boone pennant walk off home run win game and many more record breaking and exciting games..I may drive a cab, but I am still very fortunate with my life experiences and learned not to take any of them for granted. ....but none will resonate more than the game I went to, as I tell you the following story.

April, 1979. My brother and I were sitting in our respective classes of catholic school as the day began. I was in the 5th grade and my brother was in the 7th grade. I guess it was about 11:00 am when the shit hit the fan..The PRINCIPAL who was a nun with her evil stare came to my brother's class as well as mine to tell us that there was an emergency in my family and we had to go upstate. UPSTATE !!!! ??????? What the fuck is going on we thought , who died? who is hurt ? what the fuck happened?!?!?!?!? Well, we put on our dorky catholic uniform winter coats with our names inscribed in script on the left corner of our lapel ( Eddie on one Matthew on the other) as we left our school quite nervous with the impending doom which we were both anticipating of something bad happening, because we NEVER, got taken out of school for ANYTHING less than something terrible happening to the family.

However, on this particular day my father and mother directed us to do our homework in the backseat of our Chevy Celebrity or it might have been our "Chevette" which was a UFO on the ground. Anyway , we did our homework and as I recall, it was very difficult to do my penmanship homework tracing the words of beautiful penmanship to the textbook that the school had for me, to the tune of a New York City pothole. Then as we crossed a certain borderline of the boroughs that make up New York City, and my father and mother felt like it wasn't lying to the good nuns, since WE were going UP-STATE from Staten Island...BUT !!!!! Here's the caveat,we were headed upstate ,and in our minds an emergency, but in the immortal words of my father and mother in unison as they turned around in the front seat to look at us face to face as any parent would at this moment and announced , WE were headed toward theBronx (Upstate to any New Yorker, well at least north towards upstate, so no lie !!) going to the Yankee Home Opener in THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT !!!

YANKEE STADIUM for opening day !!!! WHAT ???? Miracles do happen !!!!!!!! Ron Guidry won the Cy Young the prior year..but he lost the opener when we went...but it was better than school. Watching the first game with my brother and I smirking while eating a hot dog, a pretzel, and a hot chocolate....while all our friends were still in class....priceless.

So thanks for the memories Mom and Dad and thank you New York Yankees for many great years. Thanks for being the King and Queen of New York that opening day and taking our asses out of our desk and into the seats at The House that Ruth built....Peace, I am The King of New York hacks.

Friday, September 26, 2008

THE BAILOUT IS BULLSHIT.....NUFF' SAIDLocated on Wall Street, Federal Hall is where George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. Now a museum, Federal Hall was home to the first Congress, Supreme Court and Executive Branch of the government when New York City was the nation's capitol. I don't think old George would be happy about this economy nonsense, or these creepy looking protesters walking around and posing all day.

Rulers do not reduce taxes to be kind. Expediency and greed create high taxation, and normally it takes an impending catastrophe to bring it down.---Charles Adams

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.--Mahatma Gandhi

GREED KILLS , with an Arrest Bush shirt.

The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.---Charles Kuralt

....and as I drive these back roads and alleys of this vast city whose financial industry is in turmoil due to many greedy CEO's. They need to be put in jail and treated as the common thief that they have become. I drive some of these criminals in my cab sometimes as they brag about their bonus, or laugh about what they sold to some pension fund. However I also drive the Nurse who is helping people, or the Doctor who told me he drove a cab in medical school and now he is in charge of the Alcohol and Drug recovery program at Bellvue. I drive a lot of honest hardworking people who are not greedy, nor do they want to be greedy or lie to people to earn a buck. Keep the faith, we are the people and whatever they take from us will make us stronger as long as we never let greed guide our souls. I'm not a financial commentator, but I am The King Of New York Hacks.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

This great looking and VERY happy group of people from Long Island City in Queens gave me the honor of driving them home, and directing me to their destination using the shortcuts that they know. They were asking me questions about the taxi industry and we had a few laughs about it, but when we got close their home, the girl in the middle ( please forgive me , but I never took their names down !!! So if you read this LIC friends, send me your names and I'll update), so the girl in the middle says to me, at a red light that if I "gunned" it right when the light turns green, that I would hit all green lights right to their door. Ok, I thought, I'm in. The two gentleman completely disagreed with her saying it was one of the worst streets with NO sequence of lighting and continued to ridicule the statement as she defended it. The light turned green, I gunned it, and we went at about 60mph for about twenty feet as we hit a dead red. I turned around and said " well, that theory was shot to shit" and we all laughed . She then said "it was the next light to do it on"....this time we went about 50 feet before a dead red as we all laughed again. We gave it one more go on the next light and actually made it through one green before another red. Laughter again, but we did feel the progress we made as we laughed through this test of traffic lights in Queens. Then one of the gentlemen said to me " you are probably, the 3rd best cabbie I ever had" ...I thought to myself THIRD ?!!?!?! I'm the King!!!! , what did the other two do?.... Just then the other guy and girl chimed in saying I was the best and after conferring with them he agreed and said , "yeah he can't be the third he's , THE BEST !!" Now I was happy, I told them I'm the King of New York Hacks , and handed them a paper with my logo and website, and then I asked them if they would like to be on my blog since they recognized me as the King now. They were more than happy and I got a great picture of them at the end of our hilarious ride....not to mention they tipped me WAY too generous, but I was grateful for it. These people were some class act New Yorkers who give this city the vibe that is expected, and without them we do not exist. Glad you enjoyed the ride, sorry I didn't write your names down and hope you get in my ride again. These are the first customers I ever posted on this blog, Congrats Long Island City, way to represent. I am knighting all of you, so always refer to yourself as a Knight of NYC... and if you ever get me again, free ride for you !!!! Peace.

FLAVOR FLAV SR HAILING TAXI'S FOR THE CLUBS

This hustling cat hailed me down on 10th ave in front of a club to only find out he was hailing all cabs down for people leaving the club and asked them for a tip on getting their taxi. Thats some slick shit, cause my man had a wad of cash in his hand and as you can tell, he looked like he was having a good time earning his money and had a wad of cash in hand, guess I'm in the wrong business. This picture shows he was EXTREMELY happy with the way his night was going .That made me feel like I'm in the wrong business, but if I was I wouldn't have been able to meet the LIC crew. So when he opened the door of my cab with his hand out for getting his customers a cab. I watched as they gave him a couple of bucks and at the end of the ride they tipped me a buck. Good tip for a ride, but they tipped my man the hustler of tenth avenue a few more dollars. So kudos go to my man on tenth ave wearing a tie, the shades AND the attitude to get a cab quickly. Truly a New Yorker.

DONT DRINK AND DRIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thse pics are from the end of my night , as I sat at a red light with a double parked car next to me , all of a sudden I heard a crunch....that was my passenger side rear door..I got out of the car to see what the fuck was happening h, and as I approached the minivan which was leaning against my cab, I saw the guy was ASLEEP at the wheel. I knocked on his window and he looked angry and wouldn't roll the window down , so I got in my cab seperated our cars dent and scratches in all, and got out to trade insurance and etc....This guy was DRUNK...period...He got some of his senses together and reacted....He wasn't into this protocol and clipped another parked car as he headed toward my taxi head on as he was escaping. I went into KING mode which is similar to "The Bourne Identity" mode, and as my drivers door was opened,I jumped into my cab and wailed it into drive to turn the corner , hit the gas to get away as i watched him swerve down Ft.Washington Ave ,got out of the car to get his plate, which I did successfully ...and then my night was over , I called dispatch and told them what happened , and they said you have to come back now for pictures....The King's first accident , just sitting at a red light. That sucks. It would have been a lot cooler if I drove through the Federal Reserve and shared all the gold with the people.... oh well, with the happy face of Flav Sr , and my new Long Island City friends....it was still a good night....

So I may have been hit by a DUI guy, but it's not the end of the world...in fact , the photo beneath this diatribe, this is my father and all the medals he won in the Staten Island Senior Olympics , New York...He's also holding tickets to the last game at Yankee Stadium which he attended...Life is good..just look at it in the right perspective people...I'm not an Olympian , but I am THE KING OF NEW YORK HACKS. Peace.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

This is from a local paper in Queens, called The Queens Tribune. I was interviewed by Joshua Spiro who is the next Tom Brokaw ...Trust me on this The King knows reporters....he has to be, reaching out to the King for some inside info on the hack industry. Hey Josh my man, thanks for mentioning the King and what he sees out there, and the other fellow drivers who commented, like my man John McDonagh, who not only is a hack, but founded a radio station in NYC, served in Germany during Vietnam, and is a Comedian. YO Johnny, where do you find the time brother?!?!?! Sometimes I think ALL hacks are comedians even if they don't know it. Maybe not even I know it...but one thing I do know do know is I'm The King Of New York Hacks. Peace.

Monday, September 15, 2008

This sticker is on the back of most NYC express buses that go into Manhattan. A nice way to start off this post as I do every day as I sit in the back right next to this flag There was quite a show of patriotism after my last post , hope you enjoy my guest bloggers as much as I did.

I had many responses to the 9-11 tribute in my last post. I'd like to thank all who responded in the comment section and emailed me many nice gestures for putting the post up. Two stories are listed here by guest bloggers who had their own story to share, and I feel it is appropriate to listen to their views and stories of the past , as they listened to mine. Below is a friend of mine named Frank. He is obviously competing with me wearing a crown since their is only one"KING OF NEW YORK" ...ahem, you know...ME.

Any now this is Frank with his prince and princess and that little doll Beany from the 60's and 70's , well thats his little buddy who has been with him for many years. He also told me one day that Beany is like "Talking Tina" from The Twilight Zone series and will kill me one day....in fact his children agree that Beany will kill me...I am really starting to take this threat seriously of that creepy doll showing up on my doorstep....maybe I watched CHUCKY too much as a kid. But thats A WHOLE OTHER STORY. Here is Frank's recount of his days which were just before mine downtown, thanks for the time Frank......oh and thank you too Beany.

Eddie I was inspired by your tribute to the W.T.C. From September 1979 to December 1988. I also worked in downtown Manhattan and a few of these jobs were in the W.T.C. One job I had was on the 99th floor of 2 wtc, another job was on the 81st floor of one wtc lunch time was the best, we would hang out by the sphere, or go down to battery park and laugh at all the tourists drinking from a water fountain that a bum just used 3 hours ago to wash himself.

Here are some pictures that I took through the years I worked in THE WORLD TRADE CENTER !

Getting off the ferry this was the first thing I'd see every morning for 9 years. My first job was in this building, 19 battery place.

Standing by the sphere I thought this would make a cool picture. I get chills looking at this picture.

KING: This is a picture of the building I said in my previous blog that was directly across the street form my building and the tower, however it was still covered in steel screen being renovated. Great shot of the roof Frank.The communications aerial taken from the office.

Side view from the office overlooking The Hudson River.

Great overhead shots of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge.

That's how old this picture is. This is a shot looking across west street when they started to build on that side of the w.t.c. What is it called today? the world financial center?

King: Yes , thats exactly what it is and refurbished as you saw in my prior post the difference between then and now. What a photo. Seeing this photo gives me more faith that when they finish The Freedom Tower a lifelong healing process will perhaps rebuild quicker along with our spirits and strength.

Finally, this picture was taken from one wtc suite 8101, this is the direction the first plane came from. Those poor people sitting at their desks having their morning coffee. God bless them all.And God bless you Frank for sharing with us your own memories and great photos to walk us through what once was....Its a brave thing to relive those memories. Thank you.

This next story was sent to me from a man who grew up in the Bronx, and is a staple of what this city was built on and and the people who helped make it what it is today...and this story made me sad , and laugh, very hard. This was the first contact I got from him and I then asked him If he would give me permission to post it on my blog, and that it should be told being such a New York story.Read on as you see his first one and response.

Hi this email was passed onto me from another friend of mine from the King of New York Hacks who was also a volunteer NYC fireman and I loved it. I am having some problem with my email at the moment and could not email The King of New York Hacks this little story of a New York firefighter now deceased who happened to be my father. Could you pass it onto him. You can certainly read it too. I am convinced fireman are some of the great characters in this crazy world.

Thanks Jerry Kennedy

I definitely agree with him that the brotherhood of firefighters are some of the great characters in this crazy world.

Soooooo...his friend got my email and forwarded it me , here goes.

KING,

Hi! I enjoyed reading your blog and especially enjoyed seeing those photos of some of my old haunts downtown. We do have something in common as I worked in 4 World Trade doing computer work for Wm. H. McGee & Co. during the 80's and yes I too visited some of those "skin bars" on Greenwich St...like you only once..maybe twice.

I am the son of a New York Fireman who drove the tiller on a hook and ladder for many years. Regretfully he also drove the family car the same way feeding the wheel from one giant arm to another. We, his seven children and my poor mother, were usually seasick by he time we arrived at a destination.

A fast read about my father. It was the day before Thanksgiving in 1957. I went to a small parochial H.S. in the Bronx (St. Simon Stock) and could walk home for lunch. When I arrived home my mom was crying and told me Dad's best friend, also a Fireman, Lt. Richard MacClave was killed in a fire. In those days firemen wore one of those old fashioned gas masks that looked like a tin can attached to a face mask. My father rushed to the scene and helped pull his buddy out. A radio reporter stuck a microphone in my dads face and my dad said "he would be alive if we had better equipment."

The next day he was transferred to Rescue One then the busiest house in New York. At Riche's wake my job was to help watch his children while his wife greeted the many mourners. I was sitting in the front row when the Mayor and Fire Commissioner Cavanaugh arrived. My father was one of the honor guard on each side of "Ritchie's" coffin. Ritchie's father in law (in his best Galway Ireland brogue) approached the Mayor and said pointing to my father. "Are ye trying to kill this man as ye did my son in law?"... The Mayor looked at the Commissioner (Cavanaugh) and said "what is he talking about?"... Cavanaugh answered pointing to my father "That's the big mouth that said we had bad equipment. I moved him to Rescue One." The mayor stuck his finger in Cavanaugh's chest and said "Move him back."

I was only sixteen years old but I remember it as if it was yesterday. Dad retired the next year and got a job at Radio City Music Hall running a group of ushers who worked on the first mezzanine. My older brother Frank was the manager of RCMH and we all thanked God for nepotism. An usher asked my father to help name a RCMH softball team which was going to be formed to play ushers from other theaters in central park. Dad named them the "Stupidos Bastidos" his favorite expression and the ushers loved it.

One day I will write a book about him.

PS: For many years he drove a limo part-time for a firm that had the contract with MGM. The movie starts loved it when pop picked them up since he was built like a bull. This was before todays phonies all having body guards.

And this last one my friend is a true story. Dad drove Alfred Hitchcock to the premier of one of his movies on Broadway. He then drove the limo to our walk-in apartment in the Bronx for some food and coffee. He comes home after dropping Hitchcock off , and walks in the door with a little dog. Alfred Hitchcock's little dog was our house (apartment) guest, but when my brother came home and opened the door to the walk in apartment, the little dog ran out onto Ryer Avenue and disappeared. We were all deployed to find that bitch and scoured the neighborhood. My older brother found it getting banged my a mutt owned by a neighbor across the street. Alfred Hitchcock's bitch was a virgin no longer and it happened on my father's watch. A pail of water separated the two and a quick drying off and back down to Manhattan they went. Hitchcock could not understand why the dog seemed exhausted and my father told him he was playing with the seven of us (his children) who had so much fun with their visiting pet. A few months later the former virgin queen gave birth to a litter of mutts and my father said Hitchcock always looked at him funny after that. God Bless you. The NYFD is always in our hearts. Below find a photo of pop, Firemen Francis J. Kennedy while a probie (probationary member,rookie) in Brooklyn circa 1938.

Jerry Kennedy

Firemen Francis J. Kennedy Outside , no protection, driving the tiller. What a great photo of a great fireman ...and dog sitter too LOL !! After reading that I was compelled to get in touch with him, which I did ( the internet rules ),and he followed up being kind enough to let me post this but he did a little photojournalism of his own for me to post . Great work Jerry. Here are his pics, and response to my request with an update to that story.

Edward,

I don't mind you using my or my fathers name or the photo and I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Lt. Ritchie MacClaves wife Mary is still alive (she, in her nineties and in a nursing home) His four children are living in the NYC area. FYI, Mary MacClave (Ritchie's Widow) won a huge, huge settlement from the City of New York since her attorneys proved the equipment (mask) was faulty. God Bless have fun! PS: Some photos I took last week while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and from the Brooklyn side. You can use those too. God, How I love New York! God Bless!

Jerry Kennedy

Brooklyn Bridge Walk

Side View.

Underpass.

Waterfall cross the river.

Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge.Great picture , I post the front earlier in one of my blogs so this shot is fitting.

The Falls drenching "The River Cafe" which in the papers here in NYC the owner said the water was blowing in and killing his plants outside....I think they lowered the pressure after that.Right under the falls, good place for a quick shower.

Downtown viewed through a garden.

What was a view of the Twin Towers downtown Manhattan , and a few years from now we will see a glorious tribute standing high showing our determination and strength from with to show the world that NOTHING can keep us New Yorkers down....NOTHING !!!Thanks Jerry for those great stories and fantastic photos of your father and the city, and for giving me the privilege to share it with my readers whom I believe will be grateful that I was able to post it. I will never watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie again without laughing about his extended family from The Bronx !! LOL And write that book !!!

Regards all, tonight I leave you again wishing you peace. Thanks so much and God Bless you all for the support , kind words and responses. , for as I sign off tonight .................................................I am THE KING OF NEW YORK HACKS.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Pass this on to anyone you know who would have liked to view the surroundings on ground zero as well as the classy and respectful accolade for those who perished in the 9/11 tragedy.

20 years ago I was a clerk in one of the World Trade Center buildings, not the towers but the adjacent 4 World Trade Center, which were colored brown and destroyed as well. So after my day job yesterday, I walked the route I used to take to that job back then, and it was very emotional.

I grew up with some of the people who were killed, worked with some , went to elementary school with one, high school with about a half dozen and some I was doing business with at the time of the tragedy. I was from Staten Island and this borough lost 271 people total.

When I took lunch hour from work back in 1988, sometimes I would go to the center of all the buildings where there was a fountain that had an artist sculpture which is known as " The Sphere" that was in the center of the fountain. It was a peaceful fun place to eat lunch. Well the Sphere survived the disaster and was transferred to Battery Park downtown near the Staten Island Ferry. On my way in to work from the bus I take, as I took then, I saw flags in the grass where the sphere is now , which prompted me with the idea to have my walk when I was finished with my day. It was a rainy gloomy day, but I felt since I had not toured Ground Zero at all except for walking or driving by, that I would finally make the trek and remember what was....and what will be again one day.

Working in the commodity exchange was one of the best experiences of my life and the reason why I am still compelled to trading markets today aside from being The King Of Hacks. However , knowing all the people that I personally knew who passed on in this terrorist attack, part of me was so angry I never wanted to go near the remains knowing the anger I would feel and the frustration that accompanies that emotion. But today, well this was on September 9th and 10th that I took these walks and photo documented them. The walks made me feel like I was at a wake and drained my inner being, although knowing that all my friends and all who perished are in peace now, it was still very emotional as one would expect. The following is a bunch of pictures that were my visions 20 years ago and how they look today as I walked my usual route except this time walking around the entire sight and following up the next day going to Battery Park to sign the Metal Beams that will go into the museums being planned when the Freedom Tower is built. I know it has nothing to do with taxi driving , but this is my purging of the demons inside me that have layed there since that terrible day. I hope all of you are well and if any of your loved ones are involved with the war , I wish them a safe passage home, and if need be , just let The King know and I'll pick 'em up free of charge.

I am posting many photos for this post for people who can't get to New York and for some around the country and the world who may have known someone , there a a few pictures where you can zoom in to find the name. I'll start off on a light note showing you my I.D. card needed to get into the building so many years ago....yes I was a sad looking guido-ish bad hairdo punk kid ....but I sure was lighter back then...and better looking ....and...well what do you want !!!! ?? I was just a prince back then !!!!!!!

C'mon you know you love the 80's ....just think of the A'HA song as you look at this.

Backside of my badge to enter the exchange daily. No badgey, no worky.

The King as a Volunteer Firefighter with a little serial killer look in this one...minus the 80's hair. This was 2004. I was a Firefighter/EMT

What I would see all summer as I walked off the ferry or express bus in awe of these buildings.

This is how the sphere originally looked with the fountain.

Sometimes concerts, but always a nice place to relax.

As I enter Battery Park I can already see the flags flying.

As I entered a familiar thought.

Entering Battery Park.You can see the sphere in the background.

The Flag of Heroes has every name of every Firefighter, EMS, Police and other emergency personnel listed on this special flag being flown. Zoom in to read the words.

There were many pairs of boots around the Sphere location but only one pair had a mass card on it and it was Captain Patrick Brown's ...Captain Patrick Brown died on 9/11, surrounded by burn victims he hoped to evacuate from the Trade Center’s north tower. A legend long before then, he had been on Dateline, and in Time and the NY Times Sunday Magazine, to name just a few. Although he was exceedingly modest, the media loved him, especially in those instances when he put the possibility of saving a life above the imperative of playing by the rules. For instance, a fixed anchor could not be found during one famous rooftop rope rescue, so "Paddy" held the rope in his own bare hands while another firefighter climbed down to rescue the victim—who was ready to jump—from the window below.

Great man and hero to all.

They had all sorts of hoses and other firefighting tools laying around the sphere and perhaps its not the American Eagle , but it was nice to see a New York pigeon drop by for respects.

"The Sphere"

The eternal flame that burns for all who were lost.

A Firefighters turnout gear.

The Sphere, The Gear, and The Eternal Flame.

Part of a firetruck , the gauges for water pressure, an Self Contained Breathing Apparatus always referred to as a "Scott" bottle because its the brand name, and the hose.

Firefighter Brian Cannizzaro's father was my elementary school basketball coach who came from a great family , he was a great person and seeing his name on this flag brought tears to my eyes .

This Flag has the names of all who perished.

Promo Flag .

Even in stickers they stand shoulder to shoulder with us.

This is a trailer that has traversed the United States with all the names of the victims. I believe if you click on the pic, it will zoom in automatically.

Side of the Truck view.

Back of the trailer view.

This is the first frame of the trailer.

The truck tells the sequence of events and lists the victims alphabetically. Click to zoom in.This frame is the recount and list of the passengers of the first two plane strike victims and the World Trade Center Victims alphabetically from A-Br.

Flag of honor that lists alll names of victims.This is where I used to turn around but no sphere , on my way to work.

Looking up the street where the Twin Towers and the building I worked in were visible from this spot....and now they weren't. Those fucking bastards !!! Does it ever go away , the anger??

Name of the street I headed north on every day back in 88.

The infamous garage when I was late I'd drive in and hand over a weeks pay just to stay a few hours.

This Bar was around in 1988 and still exists , it was popular back then as it is now....was the King ever in there you ask ??? Well I was underage at the time and I would never walk into...OK OK YES I WAS IN THERE !!!! maybe just once.

Now with downtown changing you have upscale boxing gyms where bars used to be.

Building that is directly across from where the Towers used to be.A very very popular sippin' place when I was in the commodity exchange, many a deal was made in here as this place has survived as well.

O'Haras pub.

This is where I would just have to cross the street and get to my building which has evaporated.

A sight seen most days, people grieving their loved ones all day .

Part of the rebuilding crew.

The Foundation is finally going up !!!!! FREEDOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

View as I get close to the west side and Battery Park City.

Entrance to the refurbished World Financial CenterProgress in action...FINALLY !!

Tours are a plenty for sight seeing , however this particular woman as I listened in, said she had lost her son in the tragedy....I guess thats her therapeutic,tough, and patriotic way of getting through this and explaining to people around the world how innocent her son was to suffer such a crime. God bless her.

The Lobby of The World Financial Center.

The Dome above the Lobby escalators in the World Financial Center.

Lots of cranes and dirt.

These banners were on the Vessey St walkway over the highway promoting the museums and a new downtown.

I figured you'd want a close up of who you'd be serving time for ...Lovely gal that she is.

Fire Museum promo.

Skyscraper museum promo.

Stock Market promo for the Museum of Finance, although I feel MY ticker stopped the day the towers fell.

Promo of a New Downtown..20 years ago if you were in down town New York at night ...IT WAS EMPTY!! No late night stores , no place to shop ...nothing ...after 8 o'clock it ws zombieville, yet now families are moving in and its actually becoming a "NEIGHBORHOOD" and not just a financial district.

The Future.

The Future View.

What the reflecting pools are supposed to look like.

Chinatown....trust the King on this one , Chinatown needs no promo.

I don't know if any of you noticed but all those banners were promoting museums for New York workers AND NOT ONE FOR THE YELLOW CAB INDUSTRY !!!!!!! What are we , chop liver ?!!

More progress.

AND more progress...This was a public legal condemned notice which mapped out the entire sight , hanging on a fence with a plastic sheet over it to protect it fro the rain. I guess its protocol.

Entrance to the overpass.

The temporary PATH station which goes to Jersey , and the prior one was destroyed in the attacks.Two Cranes.....

Sunlight BEAMING through the two cranes on the next shot....made me feel.......HOPE

There weren't many opportunities to get a good picture of the production, but I did wait in line as the tourists snapped away at this crack in the fence.

This is out of sequence , from St Paul's Church , but all our fellow Americans and People who were from abroad that perished on that horrible day , this slate says it all as far as I'm concerned. They are our angels now.

Click to read.

The patches left behind show how the world came to help us....inspiring.....damn inspiring.

Items from the fence.

More items from around the globe.

Italy ...

China.....

Ireland...

Click to read , a young age and an old soul had to have written this...

Children , and anything they write will break your heart, because they tell the truth from the heart. Read it ...Trust the King.

Cots..

One of the original cots they used for relief.

The American Seal....not the clubbed one silly.

One of the few originals.

Volunteer ...for anything ...trust me...in the end , you are helping yourself.

Thank God people volunteer for moments like these and the boundaries we cross are endless to help those who are helping others.

This is on Wall St , the exact sight where George Washington was inaugurated President of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA !! I work next door, tourists take pictures with George ALLLL day long !!! LOL .

G.W.'s Pew

Blacksmiths from Virginia forged this cross out of salvaged steel from the wreckage. David Munn and Fred Christ. Great job men , GREAT JOB !!

St Paul's just after 9-11

Alter dedicated to the lost ones.

more of the fence.

Thank you for the lives you save....indeed.

Click to read, about the 100 year tree.

100 year old Sycamore.

The remnant roots of the 100 year old Sycamore at Trinity Church.

Bell given to St Paul's to ring by the city of London.

Close up of the words.

Now ......

The meaning.

then.............

This is a view of the World financial Center where I was earlier in this post.

I used to eat a slice 3 times a week on the way to the bus home in 1988,great pizza , and they survived. If in New York , trust the King , great slice....and next to the infamous shopping center Century 21, which has also been there since way before 1988.

Fredom flying as we REBUILD !!!

This is a sculpture they relocated to the new park which used to be Liberty Park but now it is named after someone. This was a piece to inspire skyscrapers, not from the WTC.

Before they renovated this park I used to play guys in speed chess or backgammon for $3 a game .....these guys are good , but The King beat their asses every now and then .....and sometimes I won at Backgammon too. LOL

I walked near the chess table and everyone ran...no-one wants The King to beat them in chess .....NO ONE !!!!!!

If you zoom in you can see the bronze business man who was also there in 1988....it was already cordoned off by the popo ( police for non NYC people ) for the ceremonies.

He probably has a cell phone and a Blackberry now !!

A familiar sight then and a familiar sight now ...I LOVE NEW YORK !!!!!

Feed them my patriot brother !! They will never be scared of terrorists !!!!!

Looking at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island as I cross the Verrazano bridge from the express bus I take home. Reflecting on my day with a lump in my throat.

September 10th....signing the beam.

The next day , after work, before I got on the ferry to Staten Island , I wanted to sign a metal beam that they will put in the museum for the World Trade Centers. So I went on over and did just that.

The sphere , the next day but as you can see , all the fire gear removed from the day before ...I don't know why ??

SIGNING THE BEAM !!

Entrance.

Once again ...the future.

People signing away !!

They let the king be one of the first to sign the bottom where it bends .....and I mean every word!!

Firefighters from other states already playing and getting ready for ceremonies.

The only pair of boots left and today right at the front , with the Captain Patrick Brown Mass Card.

Eternally forever.We will NEVER forget !!

Zoom in as this doggie is getting his fill of hydration.

The Lady of the sea. and the Flag flying on the right ........precious .

nuff said...This is a tribute to the U.S.Navy.....For their efforts in preserving our FREEDOM..in battery park.

Side view.

The Words.

Caught this squirrel eating a french fry ....couldn't pass that up ....C'MON !!!!!!! ITS FUNNY !!!!

Sign telling us they are building an aquatic merry go round right outside The Staten Island Ferry.......don't know , so don't ask but it does look interesting.

Promoting Staten Island ???? Thats a New One for me !!

What I saw on my outdoor ferry ride home. I used to drink a tall boy( tall beer can of budweiser) that you could buy on the ferry in the summer on the way home. ..The ferry was a quarter back then, NOW ITS FREE !!! Best bang for your buck in the city.

The Waterfalls of Governors Island.

FAST water taxis that were NOT available when I worked in Manhattan.

Sailing crew in front of Ellis Island

Liberty on the left and Freedom flying on the right .....WE WILL NEVER FORGET AND WE WILL ENDURE THESE HARD TIMES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Torch is lit... for our Freedom stays afire.

Peace to you all, reflect, grieve, but never forget , and HANG AN AMERICAN FLAG OUT YOUR DOOR TODAY IF YOU ARE AMERICAN!!!!

If you know a firefighter pass the following on, the song is a tribute to all the firefighters who passed on and people who perished. It is a very popular song amongst the brotherhood here in New York.

Check out this great man's cd BrianDeVales Raise Your Glass which features a song called(Click to see video) " New York's Damn Bravest " which has become an anthem for the firefighters here in New York and many other places as well. You can hear a clip of the song as well on this sight. Click here for the lyrics New York's Damn Bravest . Brian sends donations to the widows fund with the profits he makes from the cd sales. There is also a great song called "Thank you for being America"..great music.

In closing today I am no King , The KINGS AND QUEENS ARE LOOKING DOWN UPON US WONDERING WHY IT IS TAKING SO LONG FOR US TO GET OUR SHIT TOGETHER. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE, I AM EDWARD, FORMER CLERK 20 YEARS AGO AT 4 WORLD TRADE CENTER, present day trader and hack driver. See you when I pick you up .Peace Brothers and Sisters.

P.S. If anyone wants photos so they can zoom in on a flag or the truck and see a name , just email me and consider it done ...cheers all.

Facebook- ADD ME ! You will be updated daily...to mostly...or partly to rainy at the least !! ;P

The King Of New York Hacks

Watching the city and bringing it to you.....I am The King of New York.

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